Airbus delivers 18th HC-144A Ocean Sentry aircraft to U.S. Coast GuardAirbus Defense and Space, Inc. has delivered the 18th HC-144A Ocean Sentry maritime patrol aircraft to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Ocean Sentry is based on the Airbus CN235 tactical airlifter with more than 235 currently in operation by 29 countries.

The latest HC-144A will join a fleet of Ocean Sentries operating from Coast Guard Air Stations in Cape Cod, Mass.; Mobile, Ala.; Miami and most recently Corpus Christi, Texas. This month Air Station Corpus Christi turned over the maritime patrol mission to the HC-144 after the retirement of the last HU-25 Guardian aircraft.

“Airbus Defense and Space is dedicated to supporting the U.S. Coast Guard’s HC-144A fleet and will provide technical engineering services and spare parts for decades to come,” said Mike Cosentino president of Airbus Defense and Space, Inc. “The ease of maintenance and low operating costs have allowed the Coast Guard to achieve exceptional operational effectiveness and reliability with the HC-144A.”

The Coast Guard competitively selected and acquired the HC-144A. The aircraft is effective and efficient in a broad range of demanding maritime patrol missions, including search and rescue, homeland security and disaster response.

The Department of Homeland Security recognized the Coast Guard’s HC-144A program as its 2013 DHS Project of the Year. Airbus Defense and Space has worked to deliver to the Coast Guard this capability consistently on or ahead of schedule and on cost. The HC-144A achieved initial operational capability with the Coast Guard in 2008.

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Ocean Sentry fleet recently completed its first 50,000 hours of flight. The demonstrated maintainability of the HC-144A aircraft allows the Coast Guard to fly more hours per airframe in a year with the Ocean Sentry than any other aircraft in its fleet.